Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced today that the club has signed center Zack Smith to an entry-level contract. Smith, who attended the Senators' development camp in late June, was the club's third pick, 79th overall, in the 2008 NHL entry draft.

Last year Smith led the Western Hockey League's Swift Current Broncos in scoring with 69 points on 22 goals in 72 games, while adding 136 penalty minutes. He added five goals, five assists and 29 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games for the Broncos, who were eventually defeated by the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL's Eastern Conference semi-final.

Following the completion of his junior season, Smith signed an amateur tryout agreement with the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose on April 16 to join the club for the playoffs. In six playoff games with the Moose, he registered one assist. The Moose were defeated four games to two by the Syracuse Crunch in the first round.